Method of packaging



Sept- 1951 E. D. ANDREWS METHOD PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1947 EDWARD D, ANDREWS ATTORNEYJ Sept. 11, 1951 E. D. ANDREWS METHOD OF PACKAGING Filed May 20, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR D D NDREWS WNEYS EDWAR Patented Sept. 11, 1951 2,567,267 METHOD .QF PAiiKAdifiG :Edwa dD-Andrewsihk Qh oihssi h f biTh Qpakerflats-company, Ghicagopl-lli, a corpo ration of New Jersey The present invention hasior'its objecta jn'w arid l'improvedhiethod for packaging materials a-iid .espec'iallyTloose materials sii'ch as grams, prepared cereals, frozen foods," othef food products, ahda wide varietyoftbhinibdifies. 'The gr ticp arjfiele for ,the 'ijri'veiition is the pac agin gjjof breakfast erems m small, m isture-waver res stan pacigg'ges which aregmtepaeg to lieused for ihdividi aljservices, suth as i'riifiihihgbfzgirs or restaurants; where the customer receives his order .as ,a separate package "inten'dedfto'be opened when s erved/although the invention 'is notlimit'ed'to this' use. I

' The ordinary practice in the servin 1 of comfiiodities' of thistYpe' ,foriihjdividi al service Qis' to package the "prodiict Eiri a js'mau isix s'i ded carton with 'top and. 'bottb'ni closures formed of dverlapping sealed flabs'wh'ijch are continuatilohs v of the main panels. Thepr'oduct may .be contaihed in aniinner, 'inoisti te-va'porfresistant liner of wrapperwhich is sealed fi'depehdently of the closing ahdfsealihg' of the ca on.

Themethod just described, notomy r'eq'uirjesj multiplicity {of Qm'ach'ine 'bpeiiatibhs; but the Tcost of jthe packaging material, i. e., thelcartpplfahd the 'wrapper', oftentimes excee s the value of the product containedtherein. H h V .ItiS or'ltobjectfoflthe invention to ifedti the cost of the's packages.byl'disperisihg with top iid bottom closures on the package. The-omission of thetopand bottom :closure ,flaps'createslen openfended sleeve which reduces .the' amount. of the material,whichgos intothecomplte hackage.

Surrounding the} sleeve is a wrap'pert of 5 moisturev'ap'or re'sist'antfsheeting which is t'i tly wrapped about the slevevej andfol'de d' and sealed across both open ends of the sleeve. 'wrapiier is made ofgany. of ,the well known sheet wrapt n materials. which are com -011157 employed. "Iti'hay be moisturepro'of cellophane or it maye e any of, the well knownvinyl-vinyliderle chljoride 'sheetings or. asheeting of 'thefrubber hydrohalicle tyfie or waxed pa-per. Ordinary adhesives or heatactivated adhesives'm'ay befempl'oyed to make the various sealed seams, or -when a certain: wrahpihg materials-are ,empmyed; they maybe-welded together by heating without the addition oftadhesivjes. w I

By employing} as the-main element of the package' a sleeve. which is open at the {ends vang'ljapplying an outer wrapping of the varioustypes specifled, which are completelyorpartially trailsparent, the" contents. of the pac age are. exbose d to view, which is an added; sales attraction.

'The'wra'pp'er is tightlyrlapplied so that it'serves to reinforce thesleeve. ,Thesea-ling operations at the top and the bottomof the finishedfia fikge: a s ac as a; r a a reih rh en with the; resultjthatutherelis obtained a;;p'ac kage whic Li' ho e i dist te and W hol it shape against anv' ofthe forces to which itwill ordinarily bjSTlbjQted. One'of the objections t9 21 6 ihfich fof thi era t p h bee that 'the'finis'hed contaiz'ler is loose'and'wobbly an -w l hsi h ahhofhha eiyah e W ZhP-i per is'on the outside of"the"'sleeve, distortion-of h rslee wi loften sp ihfi Pu tu e th W113 ier. If thewrapper:isfon theinside ofthesl'eevq i l fi ho r ih elii m ht th p ck v eh aiiia'ckageof this type has 'theadded objection th he lled 'Wrhh i'm hh ou of ti a k Inthejprese t iriverition these obj ections are 'over co e by the manner of applying and sealing the U pper Th o m fo i ih'h saee J Wn erei e -t fur hh htagel h ii m ib im de, ledhhd sealed l'ip o'n'existing'machines after they have been modified to provide 'for' the' giififerent order of steps. Carton I iiachi 'esfl are in extensive isejin which the order'of isteps isthe formation of the Wr 'ph l n as a ff u i dedfbag w t One lhsed te d h ah h iq h it e te l oa or" strawlooard -Jacket, for in ihg -the c losure on ne end oi the Ja ket fil ing hhMQr in 't los repn' the liner; ahd then the final clos re oh'ithegja e blrr i 91 th iih tah pro e he e'bh- 1011s" a e, altered. n'it eiol ow h parti u ars:

D. thewrapp'er olded over anopfenfenpl of the sleve Wh Qh-IlQ i vt th -hil tQ' h Of th P cka .l mah is'n w r mi v a rom h i' ahdrelontwhich the; operatio 'nsijust' l described "were peri ig' hq 211 inz hfi h p sitio i fil'l with the "commodity. K d): The fine b ackage 1 W h the'm hah l h h lierhhth hp 91 hi hhh a 2.0 .1 2. 9;th 'wreh r hihh a s above lt lh 'ew wi hu the see thabl h mb r bf :hheh anihh e e icn t w heslltp' tu nou a le iahd e ledha a 3? suh ah el v h slh e ..-Qv t e o de -.pr pfle h ysredus h h s h art ul asg e es-.. themett m jmammalsav n s In the following descriptio arid. ip the accgm- Rall n shew 11 5 he-b t erzh Q t inv tion is dislosed hutitwill-be appreciated vn ts r dIm?difihhi hm zm .ad ted witho'u departing from the iiivehtiori as set forth the-appendeq claims. :The machinery for; perf rmin t i va io Steps h 1 h w fla Imahhihi s of thi t e-hi blih we mw lnrthe-d Wi e t v ha cst o the 9 a sshpwh oth hg r hh qu f o il h initial; stock to the filled and sealed packae.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the inner sleeve is formed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank which makes up the outer wrapper.

Fig. 3 shows the formation of the sleeve about the form or mandrel. The mandrel is a part of any standard carton-forming machine.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mandrel with the outer wrapper applied about the inner sleeve.

Fig. 5 is an isometric perspective view showing the lower portion of the wrapper folded and sealed over the outer end of the mandrel, which operation forms the lower closed end of the package.

. Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the partially completed package now removed from the mandrel and filled with the commodity.

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of the package showing the first step in the making of the closure for the top of the package.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line 88 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 shows the preferred operation of sealing the mouth of the filled package.

Fig. 10 is an isometric perspective view of the completed, sealed package.

The blank for the sleeve is indicated at l in Fig. 1 and is in the form of a rectangular strip of a strawboard, chipboard or cardboard divided by the transverse parallel folding score lines a, b, c and (1 into the front and rear panels 2 and 3, the side panels 4 and 5, and the glue flap 6. On the end of the strip remote from the panel 4, a glue band 7 is applied which seals the flap 6 to the panel 4 when the sleeve is formed.

The blank for the wrapper is indicated at In. This is preferably cut from a sheet of a transparent wrapping material of any of the various types indicated above.

The wrapper blank is slightly wider than the periphery of the sleeve so as to provide an overlapping seam II when the wrapper is applied about the sleeve. A band of adhesive I2 is applied on one edge of the blank to form the scam I I and segregated areas I4 of adhesive may be placed on the blank to adhere the wrapper to the inner sleeve so as to prevent subsequent separation of the wrapper and the sleeve, if this is found to be desirable. A strip of adhesive 13 is applied near the lower edge of the blank to form the sealed closure for the bottom of the package.

The wrapper is also considerably longer than the depth of the sleeve so as to provide for the upper and lower closures, as will be described.

As the first operation, the sleeve blank I is formed about the mandrel I5 and the flap 6 adhesively secured to the edge portion of the side panel 3. The wrapper blank 10 is then applied over the sleeve on the mandrel and the longitudinal seam l i formed. It will be noted that when the wrapper is applied, the sleeve is somewhat 01f center with respect to the blank so as to allow a shorter overhanging portion which extends beyond the mandrel to form the sealed bottom end of the finished package.

The next operation, which is performed while the partially finished package is still on the mandrel, is the folding and sealing of the overhanging portion of the wrapper. This is done by folding the two long sides of the wrapper together to make the overlappin seam which is adhesively sealed by the adhesive band l3, and then the triangular side flaps or tabs 2| are folded and attached to the surface of the wrapper by adhesive as indicated at 22. It is preferred to fold 4 the side flaps against the side panels 4 and 5. The transverse seam 20 and the adhesion of the side flaps to the wrapper make the bottom of the package quite rigid so that it retains its squaredup condition.

The partially completed package is then removed from the mandrel and placed on a conveyor belt with the open end up and the belt conveys the package to the usual loading mechanism at which the package is filled as indicated at 24.

From the filling station the package is taken to the final closing mechanism. While any type of closure may be used at this point, it is preferred to spread the extending portions of the wrapper outwardly which brings the wrapper together along the line 25 forming the two parallel upstanding flaps 26 and the triangular tabs 28 which project over the side panels. It is preferred to seal the flaps 26 in face to face relationship as shown at 38, and then fold the sealed seam upon itself as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. This operation makes a double-folded seam 3| which lies across the top of the package but is not attached to the underlying surface of the wrapper. The triangular side flaps or tabs 28 are then folded against and adhesively sealed to the wrapping material as shown at 32 in Fig. 10. Again it is preferred to fold the side flaps against the side panels. This completes the package forming and sealing operations. The adhesion of the flaps 28 to the wrapper and the seam 3| hold this end of the package rigidly.

It will be seen that a very stout package has been formed from comparatively fragile materials. The inner sleeve has no especial rigidity in itself, but after the wrapper is applied and after the seams are formed and the side flaps folded, sealed and adhered to the wrapper, the complete package is very rigid and cannot be easily collapsed. The contents of the package are visible to the user and the package may be readily opened by inserting a knife under the turneddown, folded seam 3!, as indicated by the arrow e in Fig. 10.

Where the terms top and bottom are employed, these are to be considered relatively. In the packaging of loose materials, the package is filled after one end is closed. While it is preferred to employ an adhesive at the several points where the wrapping material is joined to itself, the seals may be made by welding the material together. The four-sided package is preferred, but other shapes may be adopted. The transverse. seams at the top and bottom are preferably formed as shown in each case, but this is not essential and the type of fold and seam may be varied. A fairly rigid construction can be obtained at either end of. the package by folding the several side flaps against the end surfaces of the package and attaching them to the wrapper at this point rather than against the sides of the package. This construction is not so desirable because it impairs the visibility of the contents. Other modifications in details of the process will suggest themselves to those skilled in this art.

The package which is made by the process is not claimed herein but is made the subject matter of a separate and divisional application hereof, Serial No. 62,881 filed December 1, 1948 now Patent No. 2,527,692, dated October 31, 1950.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of packaging commodities comprising forming a four-sided inner sleeve from a relatively stiff material with open ends at the top and bottom of the sleeve, folding a sheet of transparent, moisture-vapor resistant wrapping material about the four sides of the sleeve with the edges of the sheet in contact and with portions of the sheet projecting beyond the top and bottom of the sleeve, sealing the contacting edges of the sheet, closing the bottom of the sleeve by folding the lower projecting portion of the sheet transversely across the open bottom of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the overlapping seam, turning the side flaps against the sides of the sleeve and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material, filling the sleeve, and then closing the top of the sleeve by folding the other projecting portion of the wrapping material transversely across the top of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the same, turning the side flaps against the sides of the sleeve and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material.

2. The method of packaging commodities comprising forming an inner sleeve from a relatively stiff material with open ends at the top and bottom of the sleeve, folding a sheet of transparent, moisture-vapor resistant wrapping material about the sleeve with the edges of the sheet in contact and with portions of the sheet projecting beyond the top and bottom of the sleeve, closing the bottom of the sleeve by folding the lower projecting portion of the wrapping material transversely across the open bottom of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the overlapping seam, turning the side flaps against the sleeve and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material, and then closing the top of the sleeve by folding the other projecting portion of the wrapping material transversely across the open top of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the overlapping seam, turning the side flaps and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material.

3. The method of packaging commodities comprising wrapping a strip of relatively stiff material about the end portion of a mandrel and connecting the edges of the strip to form a sleeve with open ends, enveloping the sleeve while on the mandrel with a sheet of wrapping material with the edges of the sheet in contact and portions of the sheet projecting beyond both ends of the sleeve, joining the edges of the sheet, closing the bottom of the sleeve by folding the projecting portion of the wrapping material which extends beyond the mandrel against the end of the mandrel and across one end of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam with side flaps, sealing the seam, turning the flaps against the sides of the mandrel and attaching them to the wrapping material, removing the package from the mandrel, filling the sleeve, and closing the top of the sleeve by folding the other projecting portion of the wrapping material to form a transverse seam and side fiaps, sealing the seam and turning the side flaps against the sides of the package and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material.

4. The method of packaging commodities comprising forming a four-sided inner sleeve from a relatively stiff material with open ends at the top and bottom of the sleeve, folding a sheet of wrapping material about the four sides of the sleeve with the edges of the sheet in contact and with portions of the sheet projecting beyond the top and bottom of the sleeve, sealing the contacting edges of the sheet, closing the bottom of the sleeve by folding the lower projecting portion of the sheet transversely across the open bottom of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the overlapping seam, turning the side flaps and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material, filling the sleeve, and then closing the top of the package by folding the other projecting portion of the wrapping material transversely across the top of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the seam, turning the side flaps and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material.

5. The method of packaging commodities comprising forming an inner sleeve from a relatively stiff material with open ends at the top and bottom of the sleeve, folding a sheet of wrapipng material about the sleeve with the edges of the sheet in contact and with portions of the sheet projecting beyond the top and bottom of the sleeve, closing the bottom of the sleeve by folding the lower projecting portion of the wrapping material transversely across the open bottom of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the overlapping seam, turning the side flaps and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material, and then closing the top of the package by folding the other projecting portion of the wrapping material transversely across the open top of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam and side flaps, sealing the overlapping seam, turning the side flaps and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material.

6. The method of packaging commodities comprising wrapping a strip of relatively stiff material about the end portion of a mandrel and connecting the edges of the strip to form a sleeve with open ends, enveloping the sleeve while on the mandrel with a sheet of .wrapping material with the edges of the sheet in contact and portions of the sheet projecting beyond both ends of the sleeve, joining the edges of the sheet, closing the bottom of the sleeve by folding the projecting portion of the wrapping material which extends beyond the mandrel against the end of the mandrel and across one end of the sleeve to form an overlapping seam with side flaps, sealing the seam, turning the flaps and attaching them to the wrapping material, removing the package from the mandrel, filling the space bounded by the sleeve and the wrapping material at the bottom of the sleeve, and closing the top of the package by folding the other projecting portion of the wrapping material across the open top of the sleeve to form a transverse seam and side flaps, sealing the seam and turning the side flaps and attaching them to the surface of the wrapping material.

EDWARD D. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,229,864 Moore Jan. 28, 1941 2,252,106 Waters Aug. 12, 1941 2,307,124 Guyer et a1 Jan. 5, 1943 2,307,559 Angus Jan. 5, 1943 2,317,651 Talbot Apr. 27, 1943 2,357,842 Moore Sept. 12, 1944 V 

